"The demons begged Jesus, 'Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.' He gave them permission and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned." Mark 5:12-13
I want you to try and picture this: The region is on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. There is a man who is completely out of his mind and if that's not bad enough, he has superhuman strength. He could even break iron chains off of him. People in their beds at night would hear him crying out among the tombs and the surrounding hillside. One can easily imagine that people double locked their doors and mothers warned their children to stay away from the outskirts of the city.
One day Jesus came to the town and this demon-possessed man (or rather the demons in him) begged Jesus not to send them to their doom at that time. They asked Jesus to make a concession...let them go into a herd of swine. Amazingly, Jesus allows their request and about two thousand pigs drowned themselves.
In order to properly understand the significance of what happened here we must understand that Jesus is the Lord of all creation. Psalm 24: 1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." That means the pigs belonged to Jesus. As such he had the right to do with them as he wished.
The Deal
In Genesis 1: 24 God created everything after it's own kind. This included all of the animals. But when he came to the creation of man he said something different:
Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all of the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' " (Genesis 1:26)
Here we see that even though there are some similarities in the chemistry and biological makeup, human beings are distinct and different than the rest of the created order. While the other creatures were created after their own kind, man is the image bearer of God. Even observation of the man and animals reveals distinct differences. Animals aren't capable of things like science and the arts. They don't build and develop hospitals, universities and businesses.
Man is different!
And in the passage in Mark we catch a glimpse of the value God places on man versus the animal kingdom. This man was regarded as one of the 'undesirables' by society. The demons had rendered him completely insane and dangerous. Yet Jesus regarded this one human life to be worth more than the lives of TWO THOUSAND PIGS.
In our society today it seems that we regard animals and human beings as quite the opposite. Hunting out of season, keeping a fish that isn't legal size or exceeding the bag limit, declawing a cat can get you a hefty fine and in some cases, jail time. But aborting a full-term baby is completely legal in some states. Please understand, I do NOT advocate breaking any hunting and game laws, (and I think declawing cats is cruel) but we have placed greater value on the animal kingdom than on human beings
How far we have fallen.
It wasn't much different in Jesus's day. After the people heard about the drowned pigs and saw the demoniac dressed and in his right mind, they pleaded with Jesus to leave. Jesus had just freed a man who was created in God's image who had been enslaved by a legion of demons. And in the process, had made the townspeople safer\. Yet the people were more concerned about the pigs.
Having God's Perspective
"...But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
If we are to truly follow Jesus Christ than we must surrender our ideas and wills completely to him. God places far more value on human life than he does the animals. The notion that we are of no greater value than all other life is an example of philosophy that 'seems right to a man' and it has led to death. Not only by the millions of abortions that have been performed, but by the despotic genocides that have been committed as well.
We who follow Christ are to be different.
As image bearers of God we are of far greater value than the animal kingdom. We have also been given the mandate to be stewards of creation. We are to take care of the earth. But we are not to subjugate ourselves to the creation. That is the idolatry God condemns in Romans 1:25:
"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator--who is forever praised. Amen."
I pray that we all will have the mind of Christ and see things the way he sees things and have our ideas and wills completely surrendered to him.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019
TESTIMONIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED. The Dangers of Appointing Leaders Who aren't Ready to Lead.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? Hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"
Matthew 7:3-5
"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." 1 Timothy 5:22
A number of years ago, at a church I was attending I heard the testimony of a young man who served as one of the youth pastors. He told a sordid story of having been sexually abused as a young boy into the beginning of his adolescence. He then told of how Jesus Christ had brought healing and restoration. As time went on it became apparent (at least to some of us) that perhaps the healing he had described either had been incomplete or possibly, never happened at all. While to the best of my knowledge, nothing horrible had happened, it became apparent that he was still a very wounded man and his woundedness was affecting his ministry in some very ungodly ways.
This situation illustrates why it is important to really evaluate carefully who is appointed in positions of leadership. As Paul told Timothy, we should be careful not to appoint leaders too quickly. This principle can and should apply to anyone who may be placed in any type of leadership position. But especially those placed in a teaching capacity.
"He must not be a new convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." 1 Timothy 3:6-7
Often when a person is considered very early for some type of leadership position it is because some level of talent or giftedness has been noticed. This can easily lead a person to think more highly of themselves than they ought to. Paul referenced how the devil fell into sin when he became conceited. And just as Satan drew a third of the angels with him, often when a leader comes under the same judgment it has a devastating effect on others.
It's interesting to note that Paul said he must have a good reputation with outsiders. How many cases have we heard of in recent years where a pastor or influential Christian leader had a 'moral failure'. You may have heard the expression, 'Secret life'. Often outside of the body their life wasn't so secret. One wonders if anyone considered what their reputation was among outsiders. Very often there were rumors being circulated about these individuals that nobody ever checked out. While we don't want to be involved in the latest gossip, when appointing leaders we do need to consider and look into what might be going on. The damage an individual can do, who is not ready to be a leader can be devastating to the church body.
There are two things that must be considered:
1. Is the person truly saved.
The byproduct of being saved is sanctification...being set apart...made Holy. Galations 5:22 describes the fruit that is borne in the saved person's life. Fruit doesn't show up overnight. An individual may have a great conversion experience and give a wonderful testimony afterwards, but it generally takes time before the fruit of the spirit begins to emerge and ripen. Too often people are appointed before the fruit has begun to manifest itself and all too often it becomes apparent later on that there was no real change but by then damage has been done. Jesus warned a number of times that there would be MANY false teachers. This is especially true in our day where doctrine is almost considered a dirty word. There is very little discernment and people are afraid to call out false teachers because they don't want to be labeled as 'judgmental'. But it is vital that we take the time to observe what is happening in the convert's life and see if the fruits of the spirit are showing up in the person's life. Even to the point of talking to some old friends they associated with before their conversion. Have they observed any changes?
2. Have the wounds really healed
Possibly more often than not, people who come to saving faith in Jesus Christ have some very deep wounds. Often we have experienced abuse, heartbreak from broken relationships, addictions, and the list goes on.
A very common scenario is just like the one I described in the beginning with the young man who had been abused and was deeply wounded. He gave a glowing testimony but after a time it became apparent that he was still very deeply wounded. Whether or not he was truly saved or not isn't the point. If he was truly saved, just as it takes time to begin manifesting the fruit of the spirit, sometimes healing does as well. God is certainly capable of healing us emotionally and spiritually in an instant. But often he takes us through a process to teach us things that contribute to our growth in Christlikeness. However when a person is placed in a leadership position before the healing has truly taken place, it becomes a situation of 'the blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch'.
(Matthew 15:14)
I'm reminded of a teaching from someone who told the story of Daniel's three friends when they were rescued from the fiery furnace and it says that they didn't even smell like smoke. In other words, their rescue had been so complete that there was no evidence on them that they had ever been in the furnace. This teacher went on to describe someone they knew who was serving as a pastor who had gone through some horrific things. They said, if you didn't know their story you would never believe that those things had happened to them...they didn't even smell like smoke.
Of course, nobody acheives perfection of this side of heaven. We all struggle. But what is vital is that we are dealing with the issues in a godly way. And the question needs to be asked, "Are these issues going to have a negative impact on those the leader is supposed to helping?"
Too often we hear these glowing testimonies and from outward appearance they seem to be healed, but when we get close we discover they have a thin layer of ash on them covering a bed of hot coals. While the passage in Matthew 7 is about passing judgment on others while refusing to face the sin issues in our own lives. The point is still valid that if a person is not dealing with their own woundedness in an appropriate godly way, they won't be able to effectively help others. Many people have been burned because they were under leaders who were still very wounded themselves and had never properly handled their wounds in a Godly way.
The vital importance of good mentors
If a young person goes into the armed services. They will not be put into the battlefield on their first day. There is a tough regimen the new soldiers have to go through of training and conditioning before they can be put in battle. And it is TOUGH TRAINING. Some don't make it.
Being in a relationship where you are being mentored is tough. A good mentor will tell you things you may not want to hear. They may call you out on things that you want to make excuses for. But good mentors will see things about you that you don't see about yourself. They have also been on this Christian walk for some time and they know the struggles and how to get through them.
Now some might say, "I don't need mentors. The Holy Spirit mentors me." It is true that God can do his work without us. But that is not how he has chosen to work. In Ephesians 4:11 the apostle Paul explains how God has appointed certain ministries for our equipping. When someone says that they don't need to belong to a church body or that they don't need mentors because the Holy Spirit mentors them, they are simply doing their own thing. The Holy Spirit isn't mentoring them, they are mentoring themselves. And the real reason they don't want to be mentored is because they don't want to be corrected.
Remember, a person who won't be taught should not be teaching others.
Now it's true that you may find out that you have a bad mentor, this is why it's good to sit under the mentoring teaching of a number of mentors. Proverbs 11:14 says "Many advisors make victory sure." The One caution is, don't look for people who are going to tell you what you want to hear (2Timothy 4:3 There are plenty of teachers who will do that) Look for people who will tell you the truth.
The Motivation of a True Shepherd
After the resurrection Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him. When Peter answered in the affirmative, Jesus told him to feed his sheep and take care of his (Jesus's) sheep.
Many people aspire to leadership positions in the body of Christ because of personal ambition. They may desire recognition because of their own perceived giftedness, or perhaps power and control over other people. As Paul admonished Timothy when he said not to appoint new converts because they might become conceited if they are placed over other people before they are ready.
Too often in the church today we appoint leaders based on giftedness and abilities and often, credentials. What we really need to place front and center is this; Do they love Jesus, and does their lifestyle demonstrate a wholehearted devotion to him.. It's not even enough to love people. A true shepherd should have a passion for people but the heart motivation must be their devoted love for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May you all be richly blessed.
Matthew 7:3-5
"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." 1 Timothy 5:22
A number of years ago, at a church I was attending I heard the testimony of a young man who served as one of the youth pastors. He told a sordid story of having been sexually abused as a young boy into the beginning of his adolescence. He then told of how Jesus Christ had brought healing and restoration. As time went on it became apparent (at least to some of us) that perhaps the healing he had described either had been incomplete or possibly, never happened at all. While to the best of my knowledge, nothing horrible had happened, it became apparent that he was still a very wounded man and his woundedness was affecting his ministry in some very ungodly ways.
This situation illustrates why it is important to really evaluate carefully who is appointed in positions of leadership. As Paul told Timothy, we should be careful not to appoint leaders too quickly. This principle can and should apply to anyone who may be placed in any type of leadership position. But especially those placed in a teaching capacity.
"He must not be a new convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." 1 Timothy 3:6-7
Often when a person is considered very early for some type of leadership position it is because some level of talent or giftedness has been noticed. This can easily lead a person to think more highly of themselves than they ought to. Paul referenced how the devil fell into sin when he became conceited. And just as Satan drew a third of the angels with him, often when a leader comes under the same judgment it has a devastating effect on others.
It's interesting to note that Paul said he must have a good reputation with outsiders. How many cases have we heard of in recent years where a pastor or influential Christian leader had a 'moral failure'. You may have heard the expression, 'Secret life'. Often outside of the body their life wasn't so secret. One wonders if anyone considered what their reputation was among outsiders. Very often there were rumors being circulated about these individuals that nobody ever checked out. While we don't want to be involved in the latest gossip, when appointing leaders we do need to consider and look into what might be going on. The damage an individual can do, who is not ready to be a leader can be devastating to the church body.
There are two things that must be considered:
1. Is the person truly saved.
The byproduct of being saved is sanctification...being set apart...made Holy. Galations 5:22 describes the fruit that is borne in the saved person's life. Fruit doesn't show up overnight. An individual may have a great conversion experience and give a wonderful testimony afterwards, but it generally takes time before the fruit of the spirit begins to emerge and ripen. Too often people are appointed before the fruit has begun to manifest itself and all too often it becomes apparent later on that there was no real change but by then damage has been done. Jesus warned a number of times that there would be MANY false teachers. This is especially true in our day where doctrine is almost considered a dirty word. There is very little discernment and people are afraid to call out false teachers because they don't want to be labeled as 'judgmental'. But it is vital that we take the time to observe what is happening in the convert's life and see if the fruits of the spirit are showing up in the person's life. Even to the point of talking to some old friends they associated with before their conversion. Have they observed any changes?
2. Have the wounds really healed
Possibly more often than not, people who come to saving faith in Jesus Christ have some very deep wounds. Often we have experienced abuse, heartbreak from broken relationships, addictions, and the list goes on.
A very common scenario is just like the one I described in the beginning with the young man who had been abused and was deeply wounded. He gave a glowing testimony but after a time it became apparent that he was still very deeply wounded. Whether or not he was truly saved or not isn't the point. If he was truly saved, just as it takes time to begin manifesting the fruit of the spirit, sometimes healing does as well. God is certainly capable of healing us emotionally and spiritually in an instant. But often he takes us through a process to teach us things that contribute to our growth in Christlikeness. However when a person is placed in a leadership position before the healing has truly taken place, it becomes a situation of 'the blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch'.
(Matthew 15:14)
I'm reminded of a teaching from someone who told the story of Daniel's three friends when they were rescued from the fiery furnace and it says that they didn't even smell like smoke. In other words, their rescue had been so complete that there was no evidence on them that they had ever been in the furnace. This teacher went on to describe someone they knew who was serving as a pastor who had gone through some horrific things. They said, if you didn't know their story you would never believe that those things had happened to them...they didn't even smell like smoke.
Of course, nobody acheives perfection of this side of heaven. We all struggle. But what is vital is that we are dealing with the issues in a godly way. And the question needs to be asked, "Are these issues going to have a negative impact on those the leader is supposed to helping?"
Too often we hear these glowing testimonies and from outward appearance they seem to be healed, but when we get close we discover they have a thin layer of ash on them covering a bed of hot coals. While the passage in Matthew 7 is about passing judgment on others while refusing to face the sin issues in our own lives. The point is still valid that if a person is not dealing with their own woundedness in an appropriate godly way, they won't be able to effectively help others. Many people have been burned because they were under leaders who were still very wounded themselves and had never properly handled their wounds in a Godly way.
The vital importance of good mentors
If a young person goes into the armed services. They will not be put into the battlefield on their first day. There is a tough regimen the new soldiers have to go through of training and conditioning before they can be put in battle. And it is TOUGH TRAINING. Some don't make it.
Being in a relationship where you are being mentored is tough. A good mentor will tell you things you may not want to hear. They may call you out on things that you want to make excuses for. But good mentors will see things about you that you don't see about yourself. They have also been on this Christian walk for some time and they know the struggles and how to get through them.
Now some might say, "I don't need mentors. The Holy Spirit mentors me." It is true that God can do his work without us. But that is not how he has chosen to work. In Ephesians 4:11 the apostle Paul explains how God has appointed certain ministries for our equipping. When someone says that they don't need to belong to a church body or that they don't need mentors because the Holy Spirit mentors them, they are simply doing their own thing. The Holy Spirit isn't mentoring them, they are mentoring themselves. And the real reason they don't want to be mentored is because they don't want to be corrected.
Remember, a person who won't be taught should not be teaching others.
Now it's true that you may find out that you have a bad mentor, this is why it's good to sit under the mentoring teaching of a number of mentors. Proverbs 11:14 says "Many advisors make victory sure." The One caution is, don't look for people who are going to tell you what you want to hear (2Timothy 4:3 There are plenty of teachers who will do that) Look for people who will tell you the truth.
The Motivation of a True Shepherd
After the resurrection Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him. When Peter answered in the affirmative, Jesus told him to feed his sheep and take care of his (Jesus's) sheep.
Many people aspire to leadership positions in the body of Christ because of personal ambition. They may desire recognition because of their own perceived giftedness, or perhaps power and control over other people. As Paul admonished Timothy when he said not to appoint new converts because they might become conceited if they are placed over other people before they are ready.
Too often in the church today we appoint leaders based on giftedness and abilities and often, credentials. What we really need to place front and center is this; Do they love Jesus, and does their lifestyle demonstrate a wholehearted devotion to him.. It's not even enough to love people. A true shepherd should have a passion for people but the heart motivation must be their devoted love for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May you all be richly blessed.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
The Gospel Call
"Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?' 'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. 'There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.' 'Which ones?' the man inquired. Jesus replied. 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself'. 'All these I have kept,' the young man said. 'What do I still lack?' Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
Matthew 19:16-21
I've heard it said that salvation is a free gift that will cost you everything. It is absolutely true that our salvation is a free gift that God, through Jesus Christ accomplishes completely on his own. We contribute nothing. Our sanctification is also something God accomplishes completely on his own through the Holy Spirit. Even the desire to obey is something that God accomplishes through the rebirth. However, that does not mean that we simply go along our merry way as God does his work. In order for God to give us his gift of salvation, we must let go of the things we hold dear in order to receive this gift.
Rule Keeping or Following
In the narrative about the rich young rular it is important to note that he did not ask Jesus how to be saved. It was also in contrast to the Jews on Pentecost who responded to Peter's sermon when they asked, "What shall we do" This man was looking specifically for some duty or action that he could perform that would then qualify him to receive eternal life. Jesus responded by saying to keep the commandments. It is true that one way to enter into eternal life is to live a perfect, sinless life. Unfortunately, by the time any of us are old enough to read this we have committed enough sins to condemn the entire world several times over. We all need saving now. But the story continued: The young man then asked Jesus which ones. Jesus responded, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."
The young man responded that he had kept all of these and asked what else he needed to do. It is interesting that Jesus only cited the ten commandments that are based on loving your neighbor. The young man obviously knew that Jesus had left out the Greatest Commandment, to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and the first four of the Ten Commandments. So when he asked Jesus what he still lacked, he did so knowing that Jesus had left those commands out. But rather than state those commands, Jesus showed this young man what it was truly going to mean for him to truly love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strangth:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."
Denying oneself is a prerequisite to following Christ
Some have made the mistake of assuming that Jesus was talking about wealth. He wasn't. He was essentially saying just what he had said in Matthew 16:24 (and several other places) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Denying oneself will mean giving up that which we value most because anything we value more than God is an idol. In this man's case it was his wealth. Two thousand years earlier God gave Abraham the same test when he required him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In Abraham's case that was what he valued most. He had been willing to sacrifice his wife, Sarah's, honor twice in order to save his own skin. Money wasn't a major issue with him. In Genesis 23 he paid what many scholars believe was an outrageous price for a burial spot without any qualms at all. But Isaac was the son he had been promised and in Genesis 22 God told Abraham to give him up. Abraham did as he was commanded and in verse 12 God said, "Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Truly denying oneself goes far beyond strict commandment keeping. If Jesus would have told the young to keep the other commandments as well he would have likely replied that he had kept those too. But when he learned what was really required it says he went away sorrowful. Simply living by a set of rules is easy. Denying oneself is not. The truly faithful were not acknowledged as being heroes of faith because they obeyed a set of rules. They were known for following their Lord. Abraham was called to leave his country and all that was familiar and go to a place that God would show him. He was called to follow. Enoch was considered righteous not because he followed a set of rules. It says in Genesis 5:24 that he "walked with God." It may not be possesions or things we are required to forsake. Many times it is our deeply held opinions and beliefs that must be surrendered.
ALL MUST COME UNDER THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IF WE ARE TO BE HIS DISCIPLES!
The Gospel Call is to Follow Christ
Just as the rich young man was told to follow, Jesus's disciples were told to follow him as well. As you read the accounts of their individual calling it says that they left and immediately followed Jesus. As Peter said in verse 27 of Matthew 19; "We have left everything to follow you." They had done what the rich young man was unable to do. The rich man simply wanted a set of rules: "Tell me what to do and I will do it." But to follow Christ goes far beyond rule keeping. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The apostle Paul echoed the same thing when he said, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
We cannot follow Christ
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." John 6:44
The fact is the carnal mind is not able to follow Christ. Romans 8:7 says that the carnal nature is hostile against God. It is inherently sinful and cannot submit to God. To try and achieve righteousness by our own merit through keeping a set of rules is idolatry. It places our focus on us. The only thing the law could do was expose sin and restrain human nature...keeping man from being as wicked as he would otherwise be (Galations 4:23). Following Christ means completely forsaking ourselves, our possessions, our desires and dreams, and our ideas of right and wrong, AND...SIN! The carnal nature simply is not able to do that. In John Chapters 13 -- 17 Jesus basicly explains that the only way we can follow him is if he is living in us through the Holy Spirit. In chapter 15:5 he said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Truly coming to Christ means coming to the point of realizing that we are completely helpless and completely dependant on him. Then it means complete and total surrender of our will to his as we leave everything behind and answer his call:
"FOLLOW ME!"
Matthew 19:16-21
I've heard it said that salvation is a free gift that will cost you everything. It is absolutely true that our salvation is a free gift that God, through Jesus Christ accomplishes completely on his own. We contribute nothing. Our sanctification is also something God accomplishes completely on his own through the Holy Spirit. Even the desire to obey is something that God accomplishes through the rebirth. However, that does not mean that we simply go along our merry way as God does his work. In order for God to give us his gift of salvation, we must let go of the things we hold dear in order to receive this gift.
Rule Keeping or Following
In the narrative about the rich young rular it is important to note that he did not ask Jesus how to be saved. It was also in contrast to the Jews on Pentecost who responded to Peter's sermon when they asked, "What shall we do" This man was looking specifically for some duty or action that he could perform that would then qualify him to receive eternal life. Jesus responded by saying to keep the commandments. It is true that one way to enter into eternal life is to live a perfect, sinless life. Unfortunately, by the time any of us are old enough to read this we have committed enough sins to condemn the entire world several times over. We all need saving now. But the story continued: The young man then asked Jesus which ones. Jesus responded, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."
The young man responded that he had kept all of these and asked what else he needed to do. It is interesting that Jesus only cited the ten commandments that are based on loving your neighbor. The young man obviously knew that Jesus had left out the Greatest Commandment, to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and the first four of the Ten Commandments. So when he asked Jesus what he still lacked, he did so knowing that Jesus had left those commands out. But rather than state those commands, Jesus showed this young man what it was truly going to mean for him to truly love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strangth:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."
Denying oneself is a prerequisite to following Christ
Some have made the mistake of assuming that Jesus was talking about wealth. He wasn't. He was essentially saying just what he had said in Matthew 16:24 (and several other places) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Denying oneself will mean giving up that which we value most because anything we value more than God is an idol. In this man's case it was his wealth. Two thousand years earlier God gave Abraham the same test when he required him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In Abraham's case that was what he valued most. He had been willing to sacrifice his wife, Sarah's, honor twice in order to save his own skin. Money wasn't a major issue with him. In Genesis 23 he paid what many scholars believe was an outrageous price for a burial spot without any qualms at all. But Isaac was the son he had been promised and in Genesis 22 God told Abraham to give him up. Abraham did as he was commanded and in verse 12 God said, "Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Truly denying oneself goes far beyond strict commandment keeping. If Jesus would have told the young to keep the other commandments as well he would have likely replied that he had kept those too. But when he learned what was really required it says he went away sorrowful. Simply living by a set of rules is easy. Denying oneself is not. The truly faithful were not acknowledged as being heroes of faith because they obeyed a set of rules. They were known for following their Lord. Abraham was called to leave his country and all that was familiar and go to a place that God would show him. He was called to follow. Enoch was considered righteous not because he followed a set of rules. It says in Genesis 5:24 that he "walked with God." It may not be possesions or things we are required to forsake. Many times it is our deeply held opinions and beliefs that must be surrendered.
ALL MUST COME UNDER THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IF WE ARE TO BE HIS DISCIPLES!
The Gospel Call is to Follow Christ
Just as the rich young man was told to follow, Jesus's disciples were told to follow him as well. As you read the accounts of their individual calling it says that they left and immediately followed Jesus. As Peter said in verse 27 of Matthew 19; "We have left everything to follow you." They had done what the rich young man was unable to do. The rich man simply wanted a set of rules: "Tell me what to do and I will do it." But to follow Christ goes far beyond rule keeping. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The apostle Paul echoed the same thing when he said, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
We cannot follow Christ
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." John 6:44
The fact is the carnal mind is not able to follow Christ. Romans 8:7 says that the carnal nature is hostile against God. It is inherently sinful and cannot submit to God. To try and achieve righteousness by our own merit through keeping a set of rules is idolatry. It places our focus on us. The only thing the law could do was expose sin and restrain human nature...keeping man from being as wicked as he would otherwise be (Galations 4:23). Following Christ means completely forsaking ourselves, our possessions, our desires and dreams, and our ideas of right and wrong, AND...SIN! The carnal nature simply is not able to do that. In John Chapters 13 -- 17 Jesus basicly explains that the only way we can follow him is if he is living in us through the Holy Spirit. In chapter 15:5 he said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Truly coming to Christ means coming to the point of realizing that we are completely helpless and completely dependant on him. Then it means complete and total surrender of our will to his as we leave everything behind and answer his call:
"FOLLOW ME!"
Sunday, June 30, 2019
The Plague of False Conversions
"When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!' 1 Kings 18:39
This is a vivid example of false conversion.
It was an emotional response to a great miraculous event. It was so spectacular and the response was so overwhelming that it had all of the appearances of a great revival.
But there was no revival.
Very soon everything went back to normal and Elijah ended up fleeing for his life.
The reason is that this was an emotional response to something external. But there was no transformation of the heart.
I remember some years ago at a church we were attending that there was a youth rally. Some members of the praise band (which my son played in at the time) were upset because of the invitation. They said it was completely bogus. They said kids were coming forward, joking and laughing and teasing each other, even during the prayer. It was clear that they were coming down simply because everyone else was. Of course, at the weekend worship services during the announcements, the pastor said they had 150 (I'm guessing) 'confirmed decisions for Christ' at the rally. But there was never any real follow up and this church wasn't known for discipleship. They just pronounced them saved and sent them on their way.
This has become all too familiar in the modern church age. We've seen these huge evangelical gatherings where an invitation to receive Christ is given, and people come forward by the hundreds or even thousands. They are asked to repeat a prayer and then told that "IF" they prayed that prayer they are saved. Often the invitation glosses over the real issue of sin and coming judgment if not ignoring it altogether, and focuses more on the benefits of having Jesus living in your heart.
The problem is that this is not Biblical. This is not to say that many people have not been truly saved by this type of evangelism. It simply means that God saved some in spite of the fact that they responded to an unbiblical invitation. The message the early church preached was one of warning about coming judgment and the need to repent. In Acts 2 Peter preached a sermon that simply said that Jesus was the Messiah and they killed him(v. 36). Verse 37:
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' "
Notice that the people didn't respond to an invitation. They responded to the message Peter preached that convicted them of their sin. It says that they were 'cut to the heart.' This was not simply an emotional response to something external. This was something that went straight to their hearts and convicted them. It was this conviction that prompted them to ask the disciples what they must do in order to be saved. Peter then told them what they had to do...REPENT!! It is very rare today in the church to hear such a message of warning of impending judgment. Yet that was the message the early church taught.
Many people lament that the church of Jesus Christ appears no different than the rest of the world. If the vast majority of Christendom is preaching the 'therapeutic, feel good massage' that omits the themes of repenting from sin that leads to judgment, then the vast majority of those who call themselves Christians are not truly saved. That means we really are no different than the rest of the world. We need to take the admonition in 2 Corinthians 13:5;
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith."
If you responded to any of the false gospel messages out there, you need to go back and examine yourself and make sure that you really are in the faith.
This is a vivid example of false conversion.
It was an emotional response to a great miraculous event. It was so spectacular and the response was so overwhelming that it had all of the appearances of a great revival.
But there was no revival.
Very soon everything went back to normal and Elijah ended up fleeing for his life.
The reason is that this was an emotional response to something external. But there was no transformation of the heart.
I remember some years ago at a church we were attending that there was a youth rally. Some members of the praise band (which my son played in at the time) were upset because of the invitation. They said it was completely bogus. They said kids were coming forward, joking and laughing and teasing each other, even during the prayer. It was clear that they were coming down simply because everyone else was. Of course, at the weekend worship services during the announcements, the pastor said they had 150 (I'm guessing) 'confirmed decisions for Christ' at the rally. But there was never any real follow up and this church wasn't known for discipleship. They just pronounced them saved and sent them on their way.
This has become all too familiar in the modern church age. We've seen these huge evangelical gatherings where an invitation to receive Christ is given, and people come forward by the hundreds or even thousands. They are asked to repeat a prayer and then told that "IF" they prayed that prayer they are saved. Often the invitation glosses over the real issue of sin and coming judgment if not ignoring it altogether, and focuses more on the benefits of having Jesus living in your heart.
The problem is that this is not Biblical. This is not to say that many people have not been truly saved by this type of evangelism. It simply means that God saved some in spite of the fact that they responded to an unbiblical invitation. The message the early church preached was one of warning about coming judgment and the need to repent. In Acts 2 Peter preached a sermon that simply said that Jesus was the Messiah and they killed him(v. 36). Verse 37:
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' "
Notice that the people didn't respond to an invitation. They responded to the message Peter preached that convicted them of their sin. It says that they were 'cut to the heart.' This was not simply an emotional response to something external. This was something that went straight to their hearts and convicted them. It was this conviction that prompted them to ask the disciples what they must do in order to be saved. Peter then told them what they had to do...REPENT!! It is very rare today in the church to hear such a message of warning of impending judgment. Yet that was the message the early church taught.
Many people lament that the church of Jesus Christ appears no different than the rest of the world. If the vast majority of Christendom is preaching the 'therapeutic, feel good massage' that omits the themes of repenting from sin that leads to judgment, then the vast majority of those who call themselves Christians are not truly saved. That means we really are no different than the rest of the world. We need to take the admonition in 2 Corinthians 13:5;
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith."
If you responded to any of the false gospel messages out there, you need to go back and examine yourself and make sure that you really are in the faith.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Let's Start at The Beginning
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1
I remember hearing a story about Vince Lombardi walking into the Green Bay Packer's locker room after a very disappointing and embarrasing loss. He said, "Men, we are going back to the basics." He held up an object and said, "This is a football."
While obviously the packers knew what a football is, it was apparent to Coach Lombardi that some important fundamentals had somehow gotten missed. Rather than simply try to determine where things had gone wrong, he decided to go back to the beginning, reestablesh the basic foundations and learn how to play the game all over again.
I believe we as the church in the 21st century have a similar problem. In spite of the fact that we have many who identify as born again Christians and are faithful church attendees, there seems to be an underlying feeling that something is wrong. In large part, we don't look much different than the rest of the world. We have missed some important fundamentals along the journey. Rather than try and figure out where we went off track maybe we should go back to the very basics.
The Bible
The Bible is not a book. It is a collection of 66 books contained in two volumes. The first volume is called The Old Testament and contains 39 books. There were more than 30 different authors who penned the books over more than 1,000 years. Many of the books were collected long after they were written. That means that the authors would have had no opportunity to collaborate on their material. Yet the thread of the Old Testament is very consistant which points to a single divine author...God himself. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
Keep in mind that when Paul wrote 2 Timothy there was no New Testament. So this is talking about the Old. God himself is the author
The New testament contains 27 books by 9 different authors. It was written within a 50 year period of time and most of the authors did know each other although it is not clear whether everyone knew everyone. This means it is possible that some authors relied on each other but not entirely. The apostle Paul did know Mark, Luke, Peter and James. But it is not known if he Knew Matthew, John or Jude or the anonymous writer of Hebrews.
The Bible is the inspired word of God. It not only contains the Gospel, IT IS THE GOSPEL. If you leave out parts of the message of scripture you have missed the fulness of the gospel.
The Gospel Begins...at The Beginning.
When Paul preached the gospel to the people in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) he started with creation. Typically when he preached to the Jews he began with Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The reason he didn't begin with creation is because the Old Testament, which his Jewish audience was already familiar with, begins with creation.
In order to properly understand the gospel it is absolutely essential that we understand that the savior who died for the sins of mankind is the same one who spoke all of creation into existance. Colosians 1:16 says that all things were created by him and FOR him. This means that we belong to him and we are completely obligated to him. As Lord of all, he has every right to demand perfect obedience from us.
When Jesus came the first time, the people were expecting a conquering king. Instead they got a suffering servant. In our modern church age, we have gotten so familiar with the images of the baby Jesus in the manger, Jesus holding the children, washing his disciples feet, not to mention all of the images and statues of him on the cross, that we have forgotten that he is the God of all creation. And when he returns he will be the conquering king.
The Fall
It has been conventional wisdom to tell new believers to begin reading their Bible starting with the gospel of John. I believe it may be better to start with the first three chapters of Genesis (preferably through chapter six) and then begin reading John's gospel. In order to truly understand the good news of the gospel, one must first understand the bad news. We need to understand where everything went wrong. Genesis one tells us that God created everything by simply speaking them into existance. Chapter two tells us that the first humans were given three commands: 1. Be fruitful and multiply, 2. Take care of the garden, and 3. They were told not to eat of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. Chapter 3 tells us that man violated the command of God and ate the forbidden fruit.
Many people who believe they will get to heaven because they have been 'good people' would do well to remember that all it took for man to be banished from the presence of God was to eat a piece of fruit. That is how serious sin is. By the time anyone is old enough to read this they have commited enough sins to condemn the entire world several times over.
By the time we get to Genesis 6 the situation had become so bad that God decided that he was going to have to start over with just a handful of people. In verse 5 it says:
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of his heart was only evil all the time."
Now you might be thinking, there are a lot of good people in the world. There a few reasons for this. After the flood we see the institution of laws to govern human behavior. Immediately after the flood in Genesis 9:6 God issued this edict: 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed." This would serve as a deterent to mankind destroying himself. Law was and is necessary to control human nature but that is all it can do. It cannot change man's inherent sinfulness. Law is like putting a lion in a cage. You can prevent a lion from killing other animals but it won't change the nature of a lion. And if the cage is removed the lion will immediately try to kill and eat another animal. It is the same way with man's sinful nature. We see that in our society as the restraints are being removed and things that were once considered deviant are now considered the norm.
Another reason there are so many good people is because we, in the western world are reeping the benefits of a long legacy of Christian values. By the time the last disciple of Jesus had gone on to his reward the gospel had taken a stronghold through much of Southern Europe. That means we have had nearly 2,000 years of the gospel influencing civilization. In The United States, the vast majority of our founding fathers were Christians and many of our oldest institutions, hospitals and universities were founded by Christians. When missionaries travel to places where there has been no Judeo/Christian influence often the people live like savages. Human depravity.
God sets the standard and God IS the standard
The biggest reason we perceive so much goodness in people is because we are defining what is 'good' by our own standards rather than God's standard. Isaiah 64:6 says that all of our righteousness is like filthy rags. When Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple he was immediately aware of his own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). Peter had a very similar experience when he met Jesus; "Go away from me Lord' I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:8) There is no reason to believe that either Isaiah or Peter were particularly sinful. Acts 10:14 gives evidence that Peter had adhered to the law very strictly. But when faced with the perfect holiness of God, they became aware of their inherent sinfulness. This is the reason the people wanted Jesus crucified. He exposed sinfullness.
In an effort to be relevant to the culture we have allowed the world's systems to shape our definition of good rather than stand on God's word. Often that means we have allowed the world's philosophies to shape our theology. We have become very accepting of behaviors that the Word of God declares as sinful.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20)
We as followers of Christ must have this truth completely settled:
THE CULTURE IS NOT RELEVANT!!! THE CHURCH IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS RELEVANT!
The only thing in this present world that is going to outlast the world is the church and we would do well to remember that. If we align ourselves with the world and it's philosophies we will likely perish with the world. The message the early church preached was one of warning:
"With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' " (Acts 2:40)
In the words of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, "The gospel has but one message for the unrepentant sinner, judgment awaits." On that day when we stand before God none of our opinions and ideas will matter. The only thing that will matter will be if we had surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ as our savior. That means surrendering our personal opinions about right and wrong. What we may think about sexual orientation, gender identity and sanctity of life won't matter.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
To wrap this up, I want to address some objections:
A good God would never send people to hell.
If God is good, why is there so much evil.
I will finish by quoting what the apostle Paul said in Romans 9:20: "But who are you O man to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"
God isn't running a democracy. He doesn't ask for our opinions and he doesn't need to. He has every right to expect perfect obedience from us because we belong to him. The question is whether or not we will submit to his authority or not.
The good news
When we understand that God is completely sovereign in his power and authority, we also realize that he would be completely justified if he judged all of us guilty and condemned us for all eternity. That is what makes grace so amazing. He made a way possible for us to be saved. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Confessing Jesus is Lord is not simply stating a nice sentiment. In Rome of Paul's day you would be putting your life on the line to make such a statement because only Ceasar was Lord. This means complete submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. Thanks be to God that he did make way possible for us to be saved.
May God richly bless all of you.
"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1
I remember hearing a story about Vince Lombardi walking into the Green Bay Packer's locker room after a very disappointing and embarrasing loss. He said, "Men, we are going back to the basics." He held up an object and said, "This is a football."
While obviously the packers knew what a football is, it was apparent to Coach Lombardi that some important fundamentals had somehow gotten missed. Rather than simply try to determine where things had gone wrong, he decided to go back to the beginning, reestablesh the basic foundations and learn how to play the game all over again.
I believe we as the church in the 21st century have a similar problem. In spite of the fact that we have many who identify as born again Christians and are faithful church attendees, there seems to be an underlying feeling that something is wrong. In large part, we don't look much different than the rest of the world. We have missed some important fundamentals along the journey. Rather than try and figure out where we went off track maybe we should go back to the very basics.
The Bible
The Bible is not a book. It is a collection of 66 books contained in two volumes. The first volume is called The Old Testament and contains 39 books. There were more than 30 different authors who penned the books over more than 1,000 years. Many of the books were collected long after they were written. That means that the authors would have had no opportunity to collaborate on their material. Yet the thread of the Old Testament is very consistant which points to a single divine author...God himself. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
Keep in mind that when Paul wrote 2 Timothy there was no New Testament. So this is talking about the Old. God himself is the author
The New testament contains 27 books by 9 different authors. It was written within a 50 year period of time and most of the authors did know each other although it is not clear whether everyone knew everyone. This means it is possible that some authors relied on each other but not entirely. The apostle Paul did know Mark, Luke, Peter and James. But it is not known if he Knew Matthew, John or Jude or the anonymous writer of Hebrews.
The Bible is the inspired word of God. It not only contains the Gospel, IT IS THE GOSPEL. If you leave out parts of the message of scripture you have missed the fulness of the gospel.
The Gospel Begins...at The Beginning.
When Paul preached the gospel to the people in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) he started with creation. Typically when he preached to the Jews he began with Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The reason he didn't begin with creation is because the Old Testament, which his Jewish audience was already familiar with, begins with creation.
In order to properly understand the gospel it is absolutely essential that we understand that the savior who died for the sins of mankind is the same one who spoke all of creation into existance. Colosians 1:16 says that all things were created by him and FOR him. This means that we belong to him and we are completely obligated to him. As Lord of all, he has every right to demand perfect obedience from us.
When Jesus came the first time, the people were expecting a conquering king. Instead they got a suffering servant. In our modern church age, we have gotten so familiar with the images of the baby Jesus in the manger, Jesus holding the children, washing his disciples feet, not to mention all of the images and statues of him on the cross, that we have forgotten that he is the God of all creation. And when he returns he will be the conquering king.
The Fall
It has been conventional wisdom to tell new believers to begin reading their Bible starting with the gospel of John. I believe it may be better to start with the first three chapters of Genesis (preferably through chapter six) and then begin reading John's gospel. In order to truly understand the good news of the gospel, one must first understand the bad news. We need to understand where everything went wrong. Genesis one tells us that God created everything by simply speaking them into existance. Chapter two tells us that the first humans were given three commands: 1. Be fruitful and multiply, 2. Take care of the garden, and 3. They were told not to eat of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. Chapter 3 tells us that man violated the command of God and ate the forbidden fruit.
Many people who believe they will get to heaven because they have been 'good people' would do well to remember that all it took for man to be banished from the presence of God was to eat a piece of fruit. That is how serious sin is. By the time anyone is old enough to read this they have commited enough sins to condemn the entire world several times over.
By the time we get to Genesis 6 the situation had become so bad that God decided that he was going to have to start over with just a handful of people. In verse 5 it says:
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of his heart was only evil all the time."
Now you might be thinking, there are a lot of good people in the world. There a few reasons for this. After the flood we see the institution of laws to govern human behavior. Immediately after the flood in Genesis 9:6 God issued this edict: 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed." This would serve as a deterent to mankind destroying himself. Law was and is necessary to control human nature but that is all it can do. It cannot change man's inherent sinfulness. Law is like putting a lion in a cage. You can prevent a lion from killing other animals but it won't change the nature of a lion. And if the cage is removed the lion will immediately try to kill and eat another animal. It is the same way with man's sinful nature. We see that in our society as the restraints are being removed and things that were once considered deviant are now considered the norm.
Another reason there are so many good people is because we, in the western world are reeping the benefits of a long legacy of Christian values. By the time the last disciple of Jesus had gone on to his reward the gospel had taken a stronghold through much of Southern Europe. That means we have had nearly 2,000 years of the gospel influencing civilization. In The United States, the vast majority of our founding fathers were Christians and many of our oldest institutions, hospitals and universities were founded by Christians. When missionaries travel to places where there has been no Judeo/Christian influence often the people live like savages. Human depravity.
God sets the standard and God IS the standard
The biggest reason we perceive so much goodness in people is because we are defining what is 'good' by our own standards rather than God's standard. Isaiah 64:6 says that all of our righteousness is like filthy rags. When Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple he was immediately aware of his own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5). Peter had a very similar experience when he met Jesus; "Go away from me Lord' I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:8) There is no reason to believe that either Isaiah or Peter were particularly sinful. Acts 10:14 gives evidence that Peter had adhered to the law very strictly. But when faced with the perfect holiness of God, they became aware of their inherent sinfulness. This is the reason the people wanted Jesus crucified. He exposed sinfullness.
In an effort to be relevant to the culture we have allowed the world's systems to shape our definition of good rather than stand on God's word. Often that means we have allowed the world's philosophies to shape our theology. We have become very accepting of behaviors that the Word of God declares as sinful.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20)
We as followers of Christ must have this truth completely settled:
THE CULTURE IS NOT RELEVANT!!! THE CHURCH IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS RELEVANT!
The only thing in this present world that is going to outlast the world is the church and we would do well to remember that. If we align ourselves with the world and it's philosophies we will likely perish with the world. The message the early church preached was one of warning:
"With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' " (Acts 2:40)
In the words of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, "The gospel has but one message for the unrepentant sinner, judgment awaits." On that day when we stand before God none of our opinions and ideas will matter. The only thing that will matter will be if we had surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ as our savior. That means surrendering our personal opinions about right and wrong. What we may think about sexual orientation, gender identity and sanctity of life won't matter.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
To wrap this up, I want to address some objections:
A good God would never send people to hell.
If God is good, why is there so much evil.
I will finish by quoting what the apostle Paul said in Romans 9:20: "But who are you O man to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"
God isn't running a democracy. He doesn't ask for our opinions and he doesn't need to. He has every right to expect perfect obedience from us because we belong to him. The question is whether or not we will submit to his authority or not.
The good news
When we understand that God is completely sovereign in his power and authority, we also realize that he would be completely justified if he judged all of us guilty and condemned us for all eternity. That is what makes grace so amazing. He made a way possible for us to be saved. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Confessing Jesus is Lord is not simply stating a nice sentiment. In Rome of Paul's day you would be putting your life on the line to make such a statement because only Ceasar was Lord. This means complete submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. Thanks be to God that he did make way possible for us to be saved.
May God richly bless all of you.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
The Christian Mandate to Expose Heresy and Heretics
'"I urge you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they decieve the minds of naive people." Romans 16:17
Often we hear about how the modern church lacks the power that the early church had as recorded in the New Testament. It is true, The Holy Spirit was moving powerfully among the brothers in the early church. There is something else I have noticed as I read through the New Testament. Much of what the apostles wrote was in defence of the truth of the gospel and refuting false teachings. Paul exhorted Timothy to teach what he had been taught and told him of the future time:
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3
Because of this it is absolutely vital that we preach the gospel and teach sound doctrine accurately. Often that means we need to expose heresies and those who are preaching them. Paul called out Demas and Alexander in 2 Timothy 4 and the apostle John called out Diotrephes in 3 John 9. We need to start calling out the heretics and start naming names.
Paul said that people would surround themselves by MANY teachers. Jesus also said there would be MANY false teachers (Matthew 24).
You may think I am going out on a limb somewhat but I really believe that we need to be prepared for the possibility that the significant majority of preachers today fall into the "FALSE TEACHER" category. That would mean it is literally a spiritual jungle out there. And it may be hard to find someone who is a true follower of Christ who preaches the gospel. Jesus described his church as a 'little flock.' (Luke 12:32). That doesn't mean there aren't huge churches who truly teach the gospel. But the Prosperity Gospel, Word/Faith movement, and the Emergent Church draw huge followings. Their message all has something in common;
THEY APPEAL TO THOSE WHO AREN'T ACTUALLY BEING SAVED!!
It is exactly as Paul described in 2 Timothy, they surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear...and it is NOT the gospel.
I would be remiss if I didn't give an honorable mention to the other extreme...dead orthodoxy. This found commonly in the old denominations steeped in rituals that while perhaps, doctrinally accurate, no longer have any meaning. Jesus described this in Revelation 2:4 as having forsaken their first love. This also appeals to those who aren't truly saved because it makes people feel like as long as they belong and attend, they're OK.
Finally and this is paramount, we need to be as the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and "search the scriptures" every day to see if what we are being taught is what the Bible really teaches.
May God bless you all.
Often we hear about how the modern church lacks the power that the early church had as recorded in the New Testament. It is true, The Holy Spirit was moving powerfully among the brothers in the early church. There is something else I have noticed as I read through the New Testament. Much of what the apostles wrote was in defence of the truth of the gospel and refuting false teachings. Paul exhorted Timothy to teach what he had been taught and told him of the future time:
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3
Because of this it is absolutely vital that we preach the gospel and teach sound doctrine accurately. Often that means we need to expose heresies and those who are preaching them. Paul called out Demas and Alexander in 2 Timothy 4 and the apostle John called out Diotrephes in 3 John 9. We need to start calling out the heretics and start naming names.
Paul said that people would surround themselves by MANY teachers. Jesus also said there would be MANY false teachers (Matthew 24).
You may think I am going out on a limb somewhat but I really believe that we need to be prepared for the possibility that the significant majority of preachers today fall into the "FALSE TEACHER" category. That would mean it is literally a spiritual jungle out there. And it may be hard to find someone who is a true follower of Christ who preaches the gospel. Jesus described his church as a 'little flock.' (Luke 12:32). That doesn't mean there aren't huge churches who truly teach the gospel. But the Prosperity Gospel, Word/Faith movement, and the Emergent Church draw huge followings. Their message all has something in common;
THEY APPEAL TO THOSE WHO AREN'T ACTUALLY BEING SAVED!!
It is exactly as Paul described in 2 Timothy, they surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear...and it is NOT the gospel.
I would be remiss if I didn't give an honorable mention to the other extreme...dead orthodoxy. This found commonly in the old denominations steeped in rituals that while perhaps, doctrinally accurate, no longer have any meaning. Jesus described this in Revelation 2:4 as having forsaken their first love. This also appeals to those who aren't truly saved because it makes people feel like as long as they belong and attend, they're OK.
Finally and this is paramount, we need to be as the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and "search the scriptures" every day to see if what we are being taught is what the Bible really teaches.
May God bless you all.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Preachers, Please Keep Your Opinions to Yourself
"So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God." Romans 14:22
"God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments
of men which are in any way contrary to or different from his word in matters of faith or
worship.10 And so, believing any such teachings or obeying any such commandments of men
for conscience’s sake actually betrays true freedom of conscience.11 Requiring implicit or
absolute, blind obedience also destroys freedom of conscience as well as the free use of
reason." Westminster Confession of Faith
I feel like I need to clarify something right up front.
I AM NOT ADVOCATING DOING ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES THE CONSCIENCE OR THAT A PERSON MAY HAVE STRONG CONVICTIONS AGAINST.
Causing someone to stumble
Some time ago I was having a conversation with a fellow brother about the first few verses in Romans 14. A point he brought up is that you could literally never do anything because there are any number of things that could be a stumbling block. What if one person gets offended because I eat meat but another person gets offended because I don't? As I thought about it I came to the conclusion that the issue isn't so much that people who are new in the faith have preconceived ideas because they haven't fully learned the tenets of the gospel. It's that many people have been led by overzealous preachers to believe certain things that the Bible does not teach.
The Danger of Preaching from Personal Conviction
In Deuteronomy 4:2 God said, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it." The Apostle Paul expressed something similar in 1 Corinthians 4:6, "Do not go beyond what is written." And Revelation 22: 18-19 warns against adding to or taking from what has been written. By the time Jesus came the first time the religious leaders had added so many of their own rules and regulations to the Law of Moses that it bore very little resemblance to what it had been originally. In trying to be even more righteous than the law required they actually disobeyed the law and became more sinful.
The church age has been no different.
It seems that in our humanity we want to know exactly what we can and cannot do..."Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." Our fallen human nature will always default to a legalistic mindset because in our fallen state we don't really believe we need God. Too often even well meaning preachers will accomodate the human nature and declare rules from the pulpit which foster a kind of modern Phariseeism. And very often, too often in fact, it is preachers who have a desire to control people and in their humanness seek to put burdens on the conscience where God has not done so. Aside from the fact that this 'rule making' nagates the doctrine of grace, all too often these rules go beyond what the scripture teaches and are nothing more than opinions dressed up as scriptural mandates. Jesus said in Matthew 15:9:
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."
Here are a few teachings that many have believed that are not bibical.
Drinking alcohol is a sin.
There is nothing in scripture that supports the idea that consuming alcohol is sinful. It is often laughable the lengths that some will go to to attempt to prove that the scripture does prohibit alcohol. Many have tried to say that Jesus turned water into 'non-alcoholic' wine, etc. In making such assertions they overlook the fact that scripture is very clear that drinking too much of this 'non-alcoholic' wine will make you drunk. Drunkennes is sinful, but there is a world of difference between having a drink and being drunk. One should note that gluttony is also a sin. Yet we need to eat in order to live. But at some point the consumption of food in a healthy (and yes, enjoyable) way becomes excessive. The same rule applies to alcohol. The Bible speaks much about self control and moderation. For some people who are prone to addictions, it may be better to completely abstain from alcohol. But that should be a personal choice not to be enforced on other believers.
Smoking is a sin.
There is no commandment in the Bible that says 'thou shalt not smoke." Often those who assert that smoking is in fact a sin will invoke 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" If we are to be fair we need to apply this passage to every activity that we engage our body in; eating, exercise, recreation, etc. However, if we look at the context of this verse it becomes clear that it is speaking of sexual immorality. The previous verse explains that sexual sins are different than other sins in their effect. It is important to read verse 19 in it's proper context: vv. 18: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside the body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Now personally, I have a hard time seeing any benefit to smoking. The jury is back, smoking is not healthy and I think we need to be good stewards of what God has given us. That includes this 'tent of flesh' he has given us for this lifetime. But it also seems that moderation is important here as well. There is a big difference bewtween a pack-a-day smoker and someone who enjoys a cigar on the weekend. Again while there may be compelling reasons not to smoke, the Scripture does not define it as sin and we have no business passing judgment on each other in such cases.
Dancing, movies, television, parties
The Bible does not contain any prohibitions against any of these things.
Be aware of the many things the Bible DOES define as sinful.
Often in our zeal to judge certain activities as sinful we have a tendency to neglect things that scripture does condemn. Things like gossip, slander. sexual immorality, (any sexual activiity outside of marriage--marriage being defined as the union between one man and one woman) and lying are clearly defined as sinful. 1 Coritnthians 6:9-10 lists a number of sins that will keep people from entering the Kingdom of God. The fact is, much of the New Testament writing contains exhortations on how we, as believers are to live.
We must never presume upon the goodness and mercy of God and think for one moment that he will simply overlook sin. He will judge sin. And the gospel message has only one message for the unrepentant sinner; "JUDGMENT AWAITS!! But at the same time we need to make a clear distinction between what the scripture defines as sin and what is not sin. It is also true that if a man is convicted that something is sinful then it is sinful to him because (Romans 14:23) "Everything that does not come from faith is sin. In the words of C. H. Spurgeon:
"Why a man may think it a sin to have his boots blacked. Well then, let him give it up and have them whitewashed instead."
The point is that we should not do things that violate our conscience in issues that the scripture is otherwise silent. But we, especially those of us who teach, must not place the burden of our own conscience on other believers.
Just because the Bible doesn't define something as sin doesn't mean it is automatically OK.
"everything is permissible for me--but not everything is beneficial. everything is permeissible--but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12. While the Bible does not define any of the aforementioned things as sin. It is important to ask God to give discernment because in some circumstances and in some cases it may be sinful. For example, while the consumption of alcohol is not defined as 'sin' in some cases it might be better to abstain. The same with things like dancing and movies, etc. Some movies and some dancing are completely inappropriate while others are fine. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Jesus said that the Counselor would teach us all things and remind us of everything He said (John 14:26)
Galations 5:13 and 1 Peter 2:16 both admonish us to live as free men but not to use our freedom as license to sin. I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do should be for the Glory of God.
Pastors are shepherds, not sherrifs.
The word pastor only shows up one time in the New Testament. It's in Ephesians 4:11, It comes from a Latin word that means shepherd and in other cases it is translated 'shepherd."
It is the job of the pastor to shephard the flock. That means providing guidance, care, exhortation, teaching, and sometimes rebuke. Every person who functions in the capacity of a shepherd should take heed to what James said in James 3:1;
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
Paul gave this exhortation to Timothy:
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
If you are a pastor or teacher or any type of leader in the body I would encourage you to really take these verses to heart. Teach what the Bible teaches. Guide your flocks in Biblical principles that apply to life. But take great care to make sure that you are not deviating from the text. And for those of you who sit under the teaching, be as the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and 'search the scriptures' to see if what you are being taught is true.
May you all be truly blessed by the riches of God's grace.
"God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments
of men which are in any way contrary to or different from his word in matters of faith or
worship.10 And so, believing any such teachings or obeying any such commandments of men
for conscience’s sake actually betrays true freedom of conscience.11 Requiring implicit or
absolute, blind obedience also destroys freedom of conscience as well as the free use of
reason." Westminster Confession of Faith
I feel like I need to clarify something right up front.
I AM NOT ADVOCATING DOING ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES THE CONSCIENCE OR THAT A PERSON MAY HAVE STRONG CONVICTIONS AGAINST.
Causing someone to stumble
Some time ago I was having a conversation with a fellow brother about the first few verses in Romans 14. A point he brought up is that you could literally never do anything because there are any number of things that could be a stumbling block. What if one person gets offended because I eat meat but another person gets offended because I don't? As I thought about it I came to the conclusion that the issue isn't so much that people who are new in the faith have preconceived ideas because they haven't fully learned the tenets of the gospel. It's that many people have been led by overzealous preachers to believe certain things that the Bible does not teach.
The Danger of Preaching from Personal Conviction
In Deuteronomy 4:2 God said, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it." The Apostle Paul expressed something similar in 1 Corinthians 4:6, "Do not go beyond what is written." And Revelation 22: 18-19 warns against adding to or taking from what has been written. By the time Jesus came the first time the religious leaders had added so many of their own rules and regulations to the Law of Moses that it bore very little resemblance to what it had been originally. In trying to be even more righteous than the law required they actually disobeyed the law and became more sinful.
The church age has been no different.
It seems that in our humanity we want to know exactly what we can and cannot do..."Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." Our fallen human nature will always default to a legalistic mindset because in our fallen state we don't really believe we need God. Too often even well meaning preachers will accomodate the human nature and declare rules from the pulpit which foster a kind of modern Phariseeism. And very often, too often in fact, it is preachers who have a desire to control people and in their humanness seek to put burdens on the conscience where God has not done so. Aside from the fact that this 'rule making' nagates the doctrine of grace, all too often these rules go beyond what the scripture teaches and are nothing more than opinions dressed up as scriptural mandates. Jesus said in Matthew 15:9:
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."
Here are a few teachings that many have believed that are not bibical.
Drinking alcohol is a sin.
There is nothing in scripture that supports the idea that consuming alcohol is sinful. It is often laughable the lengths that some will go to to attempt to prove that the scripture does prohibit alcohol. Many have tried to say that Jesus turned water into 'non-alcoholic' wine, etc. In making such assertions they overlook the fact that scripture is very clear that drinking too much of this 'non-alcoholic' wine will make you drunk. Drunkennes is sinful, but there is a world of difference between having a drink and being drunk. One should note that gluttony is also a sin. Yet we need to eat in order to live. But at some point the consumption of food in a healthy (and yes, enjoyable) way becomes excessive. The same rule applies to alcohol. The Bible speaks much about self control and moderation. For some people who are prone to addictions, it may be better to completely abstain from alcohol. But that should be a personal choice not to be enforced on other believers.
Smoking is a sin.
There is no commandment in the Bible that says 'thou shalt not smoke." Often those who assert that smoking is in fact a sin will invoke 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" If we are to be fair we need to apply this passage to every activity that we engage our body in; eating, exercise, recreation, etc. However, if we look at the context of this verse it becomes clear that it is speaking of sexual immorality. The previous verse explains that sexual sins are different than other sins in their effect. It is important to read verse 19 in it's proper context: vv. 18: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside the body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Now personally, I have a hard time seeing any benefit to smoking. The jury is back, smoking is not healthy and I think we need to be good stewards of what God has given us. That includes this 'tent of flesh' he has given us for this lifetime. But it also seems that moderation is important here as well. There is a big difference bewtween a pack-a-day smoker and someone who enjoys a cigar on the weekend. Again while there may be compelling reasons not to smoke, the Scripture does not define it as sin and we have no business passing judgment on each other in such cases.
Dancing, movies, television, parties
The Bible does not contain any prohibitions against any of these things.
Be aware of the many things the Bible DOES define as sinful.
Often in our zeal to judge certain activities as sinful we have a tendency to neglect things that scripture does condemn. Things like gossip, slander. sexual immorality, (any sexual activiity outside of marriage--marriage being defined as the union between one man and one woman) and lying are clearly defined as sinful. 1 Coritnthians 6:9-10 lists a number of sins that will keep people from entering the Kingdom of God. The fact is, much of the New Testament writing contains exhortations on how we, as believers are to live.
We must never presume upon the goodness and mercy of God and think for one moment that he will simply overlook sin. He will judge sin. And the gospel message has only one message for the unrepentant sinner; "JUDGMENT AWAITS!! But at the same time we need to make a clear distinction between what the scripture defines as sin and what is not sin. It is also true that if a man is convicted that something is sinful then it is sinful to him because (Romans 14:23) "Everything that does not come from faith is sin. In the words of C. H. Spurgeon:
"Why a man may think it a sin to have his boots blacked. Well then, let him give it up and have them whitewashed instead."
The point is that we should not do things that violate our conscience in issues that the scripture is otherwise silent. But we, especially those of us who teach, must not place the burden of our own conscience on other believers.
Just because the Bible doesn't define something as sin doesn't mean it is automatically OK.
"everything is permissible for me--but not everything is beneficial. everything is permeissible--but I will not be mastered by anything." 1 Corinthians 6:12. While the Bible does not define any of the aforementioned things as sin. It is important to ask God to give discernment because in some circumstances and in some cases it may be sinful. For example, while the consumption of alcohol is not defined as 'sin' in some cases it might be better to abstain. The same with things like dancing and movies, etc. Some movies and some dancing are completely inappropriate while others are fine. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Jesus said that the Counselor would teach us all things and remind us of everything He said (John 14:26)
Galations 5:13 and 1 Peter 2:16 both admonish us to live as free men but not to use our freedom as license to sin. I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do should be for the Glory of God.
Pastors are shepherds, not sherrifs.
The word pastor only shows up one time in the New Testament. It's in Ephesians 4:11, It comes from a Latin word that means shepherd and in other cases it is translated 'shepherd."
It is the job of the pastor to shephard the flock. That means providing guidance, care, exhortation, teaching, and sometimes rebuke. Every person who functions in the capacity of a shepherd should take heed to what James said in James 3:1;
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
Paul gave this exhortation to Timothy:
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
If you are a pastor or teacher or any type of leader in the body I would encourage you to really take these verses to heart. Teach what the Bible teaches. Guide your flocks in Biblical principles that apply to life. But take great care to make sure that you are not deviating from the text. And for those of you who sit under the teaching, be as the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and 'search the scriptures' to see if what you are being taught is true.
May you all be truly blessed by the riches of God's grace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)